Disgrace to Name
by scrambledlEtters
Summary: Albus Potter was a regular wizard... Until his brother called him a Disgrace. Now strange things are happening at Hogwarts, all with strange ties to the past. With James trying to knock him down, Albus soon finds there's a lot more going on than what meets the eye. He'll have to choose who he can trust; and who's plotting against him. "Are you ready Albus? It's all just started."
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**THIRD PERSON**

The streets of Diagon Alley were exceptionally crowded when the Potter family made a visit to pick up some school supplies for their two sons. The August sun hung lazily in the sky, watching as witches and wizards attempted to shove their way down the streets and cram themselves into the stores standing on either side of them. Not a cloud was visible and therefore there was nothing to cast any sort of shade upon the pedestrians. As a result, the youngest member of the Potter family found herself to be quite uncomfortable and had no problems in voicing this opinion.

"I'm hot," Lily told her mother, holding onto the older witch's hand as they walked.

"I know hun, but we're nearly there," Ginny Potter replied as she brushed some of her bright red hair from her face. Having cut these fiery locks recently, they barely brushed her shoulders and as a result were quite fond of blowing in front of her bright brown eyes. She then looked back at her eldest son, who was trailing slightly behind them, his arms crossed in front of him.

"James, try to keep up please. There are so many people here that I don't want to lose you," Ginny said.

"I don't see why Albus can get an owl and I can't get a broom," was James's response and he glared at his brother's back through his square-rimmed glasses.

"Albus is buying that owl with his own money and it's practical," Ginny explained. "Watch out!"

She was just successful in pulling her son away from a wizard who dropped his large stack of cauldrons. The lot of them fell to the ground with loud clattering and rolled in all directions causing all those around to scatter.

"Ginny?" Harry asked, stopping and looking back at his wife. At his side, the middle child, Albus turned as well, curiosity mingling with the evident excitement on his face. Ginny put a hand on James's shoulder and started walking again, this time the group packed more tightly together. Eventually the family squeezed into a small store, shutting the door behind them quickly.

The store was filled from top to bottom with thousands of wands, and empty except for two others. One was an older man with white hair and large moonlike eyes. The other was a young man who resembled the older man significantly except his eyes were a light shade of blue and his hair long and blonde. At the sight of the family, the elder of the two smiled and stood up from his seat on a rickety old stool.

"Harry Potter, Holly and Phoenix Feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. It's nice to see you again," he said and gestured for them to come farther in. "What brings you here today?"

"Albus here is getting his first wand," Harry said smiling with pride as he placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Ah yes. I remember James's wand as well," Ollivander said and his moon-like eyes landed upon the bespeckled youth. "Spruce with Dragon-Heartstring, 10 inches, surprisingly supple."

James blinked in surprise and brought his hand to his robe, where his wand was contained as if he were afraid it would respond to the wandmaker. Ginny placed a hand on her son's shoulder reassuringly, which he shrugged off, remembering to be mad. His mother rolled her eyes and didn't seem at all offended by James's behavior.

"Gregory here," Ollivander said, turning to face the blonde man who looked so much like him, "is my grand-nephew and is training to work here alongside me. Perhaps he can try suiting your son with a wand."

The blonde looked both apprehensive and thrilled at the idea of assisting the Potters and immediately walked over to Albus, looking him over carefully. Ollivander returned to his seat to watch his apprentice at work, his moon-like eyes never leaving him. Gregory nodded and walked over to a wall, pulling out a specific wand box. He walked over to Albus and opened it, revealing a beautiful wand.

"Cypress with a core of Unicorn Hair," Gregory said and Albus picked up the wand, giving it a wave. The light overhead suddenly shattered and Gregory repaired it quickly, putting the wand he had suggested away rather rapidly. For quite a while Gregory struggled with suggesting wands, only to have various items around the shop broken. By the time Ollivander stood up, Gregory and Albus were both looking quite flustered.

James stood near the back of the shop, a smug smile on his face. His wand had chosen him right away and he always resented the fact that Albus had been recognized in his skill for magic even before he received his letter for Hogwarts. James was also amused by the fact that Albus had broken so many objects around the shop.

"Gregory, take a seat," Ollivander said and made his way over to a wall, pulling a box right off the shelf without a second glance. The young man blushed and stepped back, looking quite ashamed of himself. Ollivander held out the box and Lily's face lit up, and she looked up at the old man with admiration.

"That one's gonna work," Lily said and Ollivander examined the girl for a second with curiosity. The little red-head smiled; revealing one missing tooth among her other growing adult teeth. The old man seemed to be amazed by the young girl, but turned his attention quickly back to Albus who had just removed the wand from its case.

"Can you tell what type of wand that is?" Ollivander asked Lily and she stared at the wand, her brown eyes squinting slightly. She nodded slightly and held up her thumb in front of one eye.

"Cedar… 10 inches…?" she asked and received a beaming smile from Ollivander and a glare of envy from Gregory.

"Cedar, 10 and three quarter inches, with a phoenix feather core. Very close, very close," Ollivander said. "Now give it a wave."

Albus waved the wand and it released a shower of sparks, giving off a light glow. Ollivander nodded and Harry beamed down on his daughter and son, both of which were glowing with their own pride. While Albus and Harry paid for the wand up at the register with Gregory, Ollivander turned to speak with Ginny.

"You've got a prime wandmaker here, Mrs. Potter. I haven't seen talent like this in anyone so young before. She's the type of witch that I'd be happy to train personally."

Lily looked up at her mother with a large grin and a look of pure hope in her eyes. Meanwhile James looked on, glowering at his little sister, who had managed to earn a little of the limelight. As soon as Albus and Harry rejoined the little group, they set off once again to finish their shopping.

September first had come at last, and after a long train ride the Hogwarts students had all gathered within the Great Hall. The various houses were buzzing with excitement and conversation, some glancing up at the new Headmaster with curiosity while others discussed the upcoming sorting and school year.

Sitting proudly at the Gryffindor table alongside his friends was James, anxiously awaiting the Sorting. His younger brother was starting his first year and he was silently hoping that he'd be a Gryffindor just like him and their parents. Despite taunting his brother thoroughly about the possibility of becoming a Slytherin, he was actually quite worried about his brother's fate.

Suddenly the doors to the Great Hall swung open and in marched the First Years. They were all dressed in plain black robes so at first James had trouble locating his brother. He sat up higher, craning his neck in attempt to see Albus.

"There," Fred, both cousin and best friend to James, said as he pointed out Albus. The green eyed youth was standing next to their other cousin, Rose.

Albus could barely contain his excitement as he looked around the Great Hall. He glimpsed his brother amongst the Gryffindors and couldn't help but feel his heart soar at the prospect of joining them. Beside him, Rose was bouncing on her heels, her excitement shining brightly in her chocolate colored eyes. In an almost dreamlike state he listened as the other First Years made their way up and were sorted into their new houses.

Familiar names were called, including those of Taylor Finnegan: Ravenclaw, Scorpius Malfoy: Slytherin, Jasmine Longbottom: Hufflepuff, and Lucy Thomson: Ravenclaw. Before Albus was truly aware that the events were reality, his name was called by the Deputy Headmaster Flitwick.

Pushing his way from the crowd, Albus felt all the eyes upon him as he made his way to the elevated platform. Taking a seat on a rickety old stool, the Sorting Hat was lowered onto his head and the Great Hall fell silent. For a while Albus sat upon the stool, the Sorting Hat silent to everyone except him. Minutes passed until the hat seemed to finally make a decision.

Opening the rip that served as its mouth, the Sorting Hat exclaimed, "SLYTHERIN!"

A new type of silence filled the Great Hall, one much less apprehensive; more shocked and even a little hostile. As Albus took a seat at the Slytherin table, James felt a sort of anger bubble in his chest, followed closely by a sense of betrayal. There was silence until the Headmaster suddenly stood, clapping for the youngest Potter son. The Slytherins quickly picked up as well, leaning over to congratulate and welcome the newest Slytherin. Gradually the rest of the Great Hall followed suit until everyone was clapping, except for one seething James. The Sorting recommenced.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:** _Game On_

**JAMES SIRIUS POTTER**

November 19; 9:15 pm

I always knew that my brother was a decent Quidditch player, but while playing against him in the match today, I found 'decent' to be more than an understatement. As I sat in the Gryffindor Common Room pondering what caused our defeat to the Slytherin team, I found my thoughts drifting back to my brother's performance on the pitch.

Before today I had always thought seekers to be the ones who received all the unfair attention. They would sit on the sidelines watching the action until the moment they caught sight of the elusive golden snitch. Then they'd dive in, catch the snitch and Viola! The glory of winning was in their hands. The chasers, beaters, and keepers, who had been playing up until then were lost behind the seeker's mask of fame and glory.

When Albus showed up on the field, my opinion had stayed strong. He'd be just like all the others, steal the fame and glory from those who really did the work. If only I had known how wrong I was.

Honestly, it was no surprise that my siblings and I had talent. Quidditch runs through the blood in our veins. My grandfather, and my namesake, was a chaser when he attended Hogwarts. Apparently, he was one of the best players out there and was famous in the school for his skills. My father was a Quidditch player as well, a seeker, when he was in school. Not only was he the youngest seeker in a long time, but he inherited his father's talent. On top of that, my mother was also a Quidditch player. She also went on to play professionally for the Hollyhead Harpies and still plays today. She's won her team nearly every game they've played, including the latest World Cup.

Me, I'm a chaser, and a bloody good one at that. Ever since I was old enough to mount a broom, I've been flying. I developed my skill and eventually when I attended Hogwarts, tried out for the Gryffindor Team. They accepted me onto the team instantly and I quickly established my position in the Potter line of Quidditch players.

Of course I had seen Albus play Quidditch before. At nearly every family gathering we would play a game or ten. Each time we played, Albus was seeker and I was perfectly fine with that. He was good, not great, but good. He managed to catch the snitch and stay on the broomstick which was all anyone truly asked of him.

How wrong was I when I figured he wouldn't be a tough opponent?

November 19; 12:30 pm

The sun was shining brightly as I stepped out onto the pitch with my team following behind me. The large golden orb sat high in the baby blue sky. A few lazy clouds drifted by, large balls of pure white cotton, not truly traveling in any particular direction. There was a gentle breeze blowing softly, causing the trees to whisper to one another and my hair to ruffle slightly. The lingering warmth of summer was still present but in the wind there was hints of chill; autumn sending a final warning before winter's imminent approach.

A smile played on my lips as I looked up to the stands surrounding the field. Directly across the pitch I could see the mass of people belonging to my house. Banners of gold and scarlet waved in the air and a series of loud cheers erupted as we came into their range of vision. The area for my house was clearly marked out by a large tapestry hanging over what would normally be exposed wood and metal. It was the same scarlet as the banners, but a single golden lion sat at its center. The creature had a thick mane and large almond shaped eyes. It was the perfect symbol of the power of Gryffindor house.

"This is going to be an interesting match," a voice said and I glanced to my right. Standing there was a young man of 16 years. His face was thin yet defined and his nose was a defined ski-slope with dark brown freckles. With skin the color of milk caramel, the freckles looked slightly out of place but added character to his features. His hair was shaggy and a mixture of fiery red and a chocolate together to create a unique rusty color. His eyes were a creamy brown and glimmered with excitement and a constant understated mischief.

"It's against Slytherin, it'll be a breeze," I responded and my teammate swung his bat across his shoulders, a grin spreading across his face.

"I heard there's a new captain this year," he said and I smirked.

"Which will only make this game that much easier."

A girl walked up to my other side, swinging a beater's bat up to rest on her shoulder. A few inches shorter than me, and with a perfect Quidditch figure my eyes lingers on her longer than necessary. Her hair, which normally fell in carrot-colored waves to her shoulders, was pulled into a ponytail high on her head. A pair of coal black eyes sparkled out from under her bangs and rested on either side of a button nose. Heart-shaped lips were fixed in a triumphant smile and the one hand not holding her bat was grasped tightly onto the handle of a freshly polished Nimbus 2021.

"We're gonna crush those Slytherins," she said in a voice that was slightly rough on the ears, but at the same time strangely pleasant.

"Remember; only hit Bludgers at Slytherins who have the Quaffle. We don't want any unnecessary fouls," I said.

"Come on James, have some faith in us," a voice said and another person walked up, joining the girl, Kate, at her side. Due to the fact that they were twins, many of their facial features were the same: eyes, nose, lips, and jaw. The one notable difference between the two was where her hair was a lively orange; his was dirty blonde and cut short as to avoid the waves that would occur if it were allowed to grow. Jack, Kate, Fred and I made up the marauders of the current era and practically half the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

There was a sudden loud cheer from behind me, the noise of tons of fans calling out for their team. To my surprise, Slytherin seemed to have just as many supporters as Gryffindor this year. I pushed my glasses up my nose and stared intently at the other end of the pitch. I watched as a group of 7 entered the pitch on the other end. The figures were too far away for me to see them clearly, but I could tell that they weren't the brutes that usually made the team.

"Teams please approach the center of the field," a voice called out as a woman on a broom flew to the center. She landed daintily, climbing off the broom and planting her feet firmly. Her hair was a stunning white and was pulled back into a loose ponytail. Eyes of lemon yellow scanned each of the teams before she reached up and pulled a pair of goggles over her eyes.

"I want a clean game," she said simply, her eyes lingering on the captain of the Slytherin team. The Slytherin was unfamiliar to me with his burnt sienna hair and large grey-blue eyes. Quite handsome in appearance, it almost didn't shock me to see the rippling muscles under the green fabric of his uniform. Otherwise he was rather tall and broad-shouldered, intimidating only in stature. His face was hard to read, but I could see the determination he had based on the tightness of his jaw.

"Team Captains come and shake hands," Madam Hooch said and I approached the center of the field. I assumed that once again Slytherin's method would be based off of brute strength and intimidation. The hand that shook mine however, was gentle yet firm rather than the bone-crushing grip I was expecting. I heard my teammates gather in a semicircle behind me and I stepped back, glaring at the opposite captain.

"May the best team win," he said with a smirk and boarded his broom, which I noticed was an expensive Nimbus 2022. I snarled and got on my own Nimbus 2020, noting that the handle needed a little care.

A few moments later the Quaffle was in the air, the snitch released, and the game started. Instantly, I knew we were in trouble. The new Slytherin chaser had grabbed hold of the Quaffle right under my nose, seconds into the game. All I had seen was a flash of green and the other player was gone, halfway down the pitch. I took up pursuit, listening to the announcer in the background.

"And James Potter is off after Malfoy, right after having the Quaffle stolen practically right out of his hands!" the announcer shouted into the speaker. A wave of shock hit me and I glimpsed the name on the back of the player I was tailing. Sure enough: MALFOY was written in silver above the number 12. Feeling a spike of rage, I sped up, leaning to knock the Quaffle from the blonde's arms.

Possibly having seen me coming, Malfoy swerved suddenly out of my way before swooping low and scoring a goal on our keeper, my cousin Hugo Weasley. It went on like this for a while, the game staying tight at first until Slytherin pulled dramatically ahead due to the antics of one blond in green. Every time the opposite team scored more points was like a blow by a Bludger.

Flying over to Kate, I screamed over the roar of the crowd as Slytherin scored another 10 points, "Change of plan! We need you to boost up your defense!"

The girl gave me a thumbs up and sped off after a Bludger, hitting it with one well aimed swing. The Bludger was sent flying off towards a Slytherin player who dodged it so skillfully that I was immediately impressed, despite myself. I guessed this was the seeker because he flew back to the edge of the pitch, out of the way of most of the action. This and the fact that our own seeker, Justin Wood, was sticking close by.

"And Slytherin has regained control of the Quaffle after Lynch's Bludger narrowly missed Karpi," the announcer cried and I sped off toward the center of the pitch where Scorpius was currently flying alongside two Gryffindor chasers. I flew over him, and made a move to dive down. Just before I would hit the Slytherin, he rolled, clinging tightly onto both Quaffle and broom as he suddenly decreased his speed. As a result the three of us Gryffindors continued flying forward and the blond was able to steer off in a different direction.

As time went on, the Slytherin team seemed to have more and more surprises up their sleeves. Not only were they new players fast, but they were talented. Their strategy was flawless, and it frustrated me to no end that I couldn't figure out how to stop them. Malfoy was infuriating, but it turns out the new seeker was another force to be reckoned with.

He was constantly in the middle of the action, there to assist any team member in need. Although he had no real tools to help them, his flying skill made up for it. This particular player was more than comfortable on a broomstick and was able to pull off complicated moves that many players my age wouldn't even attempt. Some of his tricks were executed so well that they earned cheers from the crowd. I have to admit that I was immensely jealous of his ability.

Many times the seeker had been able to fool Justin Wood as well. He dove when there was nothing there and always managed to keep Justin away from the Snitch. It was then that I realized that the opposite seeker was stalling. He was purposely keeping Wood from catching it, while never actually pursuing it himself. This idea had overcome me with rage, and I blasted off after Malfoy who had managed to gain the Quaffle in his possession once again. I had just flown below the blond when a Bludger flew out of nowhere, slamming into Malfoy's arm with a sickening crunch.

Silently the Quaffle fell from Malfoy's arms and I caught it, wrapping my arms tightly around it. I flew off to the other end of the pitch, scoring easily off of the Slytherin keeper.

"Ten points for Gryffindor!" the announcer shouted followed by disheartened cheers from the crowd. I flew up higher in the air to see Malfoy flying over toward the Slytherin Captain. I was slightly amused by the fact that the blonde's arm was hanging limply by his side. The Captain gave a nod and Malfoy flew to the seeker, who had stopped midair, watching the pair curiously.

Malfoy exchanged a few words with the seeker and the latter took off instantly. It was then that I noticed the sudden change.

"What's this?" the announcer asked. "Every Slytherin player has seemed to have stopped! All eyes are on seeker, Albus Potter now."

_Albus? Seeker?_

The thought seemed appalling. How could my brother have been playing all this time without me noticing? I'd seen my brother play seeker in the Quidditch games that my extended family held, but he was never brilliant. He had always been decent as a player, managing to stay on his broom and catch the Snitch most of the time. In fact, he hadn't played Quidditch at school up until this year.

I saw Albus go into a dive and everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Wood flew towards Albus, a look of fear on his face. Kate hit a Bludger straight towards Albus. He dodged, pulling up into a backwards roll as Wood collided with the Bludger. As Wood fell to the ground, Albus held his hand high, two wings flapping feebly between his fingers.

"Albus Potter caught the Snitch! Slytherin wins!" the announcer called and thunderous applause filled the Pitch. I slowly landed and watched with rage burning within me as the Slytherin team surrounded my brother, each one of them congratulating him and the other members of the team. Gradually the Gryffindor players landed around me, each of them covered with sweat and looking disheartened.

"Go to the showers," I mumbled, barely able to keep my voice steady. "I have to take care of something."

Fred and Kate looked worried, but they walked off toward the Gryffindor Locker Rooms anyway. I waited silently as the Slytherin team members left and headed off to their own Locker Room. Eventually it was only Albus and I left on the pitch. My brother was helping put the balls back within their case. I walked over just as Madam Hooch thanked Albus for the help and walked off, box in her arms.

"Albus," I said and my brother turned to look at me. His green eyes revealed his curiosity, but otherwise his face was expressionless.

"Hey, James," Albus replied, shifting his broomstick in his hand. "Good game today."

"Good game," I sneered and punched him in the face. I felt my fingers crack slightly as Albus stumbled back, putting a hand to his cheek. He turned and looked back at me, his eyes narrowed.

"What was that?" he asked and the unspoken threat hung dangerously in the air between us. The younger Slytherin's voice hadn't taken a threatening tone, rather it was the quiet way he said it that unnerved me.

"Why didn't you tell me you were such a good flyer! How dare you just come out here and show off like that without telling anyone that you even could! Ever since you got sorted into Slytherin you've become just as evil as one. Especially since you hang out with Malfoy! Sometimes I can't believe that you're my brother! You're such a disgrace!" I shouted, my voice getting louder with each word. The final word was so loud that it echoed in the empty Pitch.

Albus said nothing, his face utterly unreadable. Silently he turned around and walked off, leaving me to brew in my own pool of rage.


End file.
